Always a Bridesmaid: Haley & Charlie

As a wedding planner, I believe the most beautiful celebrations are the ones that are deeply personal. This past year, I had the incredible honor of seeing this firsthand as a bridesmaid for four different friends. My fiancé and I traveled to San Francisco, Portland, Santa Barbara, and Burlingame to celebrate their incredible nuptials. Each was its own special experience, and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on them, ending with the one most special to me: seeing one of my best friends of over 15 years marry someone she’s known nearly as long.

VENDOR CREDITS | Planning: Squid Inc. Social, photography: Stephanie Klotz Photography, florals: Perry Florals, venue: Kohl Mansion

Cheers to the happy couple!

Haley & Charlie | July 2025 | Kohl Mansion

How does one even begin to harness the wellspring of emotions you go through when your best friend gets married? Let alone one who’s been with their incredible partner for over 10 years? This was the challenge posed to me and my three other best friends when the one who started it all got married.

Haley and Charlie met in their second semester of their senior year of high school and officially got together on Valentine’s Day. While the rest of us were planning the demise of our high school relationships, Haley insisted that she was keeping this one. 10 years later, we braced for what we hoped would be the sweetest proposal of all time.

Charlie took Haley to dinner for their 10th anniversary, and she was so nervous that she was shaking like a Chihuahua. He asked her, “Do you think that I’m proposing tonight?” and she said, “Well, of course I do!” He laughed and said, “Oh, don’t worry, it’s not happening tonight.” When they got back to their Airbnb, it was covered in photos of them over the past 10 years, and his guitar, which she thought he’d left at home, was there waiting for them. He sang an original song to her, asked her to marry him, and the rest is history.

It’s very odd, arriving at a day you’ve been waiting for for 10 years. I can only imagine what I felt was a fraction of what they were feeling, but it felt like the culmination of a fate destined. She walked out to the song “The First Day of My Life” by Bright Eyes, and he burst into tears, as we all did. My friend Annika and I were the last two bridesmaids to walk out before Haley came, and I was already sobbing before we even left the door.

I’ve watched them love each other for 10 years, but to hear them articulate what that love means to them was an entirely different experience. And Charlie got the short end of the stick, because his now-wife is the most fantastic writer (I highly recommend you check out her fantasy trilogy, The Lost Earth Series).

Me, Haley, and our other friend Anna watching guests gather outside.

The wedding was everything that they deserved for it to be. The Kohl Mansion was the perfect backdrop to their towering, old-soul love. The reception was a dinner that felt like coming home: fried chicken, pasta, salad, and drinks all around. And then we spent two hours screaming along to all of Haley and Charlie’s favorite songs. None of the photos of us dancing are worth publishing.

I know it was probably the best day of Haley and Charlie’s lives, and I hope they don’t mind if I say it was for me, too.

It was also the day I met Sidney of Squid Inc. Social, and felt the courage to begin thinking about creating experiences like that for other couples. I want to do this because I love love, and I truly think that weddings are a magical experience for everyone who has the privilege of being at one. The week after Haley‘s wedding, I texted Sidney and asked if she would be willing to talk to me about how to get into the business. Ever since, she’s been a mentor, welcoming me onto her day-of support staff, showing me the ropes, and encouraging me in every way that matters.

That day will always be the day I saw my best friend get married, but it will also be the day I was so inspired by their love that I felt the courage to pursue a dream I’ve had for a long time. And I will always be eternally grateful for that.

The Planner's Takeaway: A truly unforgettable wedding isn't about achieving a picture-perfect ideal; it's about creating an atmosphere where the couple's unique story and personality can shine. The most memorable details are often the most personal—the inside-joke song that gets everyone screaming, the comfortable food that feels like home, the vows that tell a decade-long story. My job as a planner is to build the seamless foundation that allows that authentic, messy, beautiful joy to be the absolute center of the day.

Pro Tip: Before you choose a single color or flower, sit down with your partner and answer this question: What are three words we want our guests to use to describe our wedding? "Fun," "romantic," "intimate," "epic"? Nailing down the feeling first is your North Star. It will make every single design and logistical decision that follows easier and more intentional.

Warmly,

Natasha

Parker & Paloma Events